Mark Hartman is the managing editor for Marchingbuzz. A native of El Paso, Texas, Mark is a former member of the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps and has been on staff with several different drum corps. He attended college at Brigham Young University where he was a member of the BYU Cougar Marching Band and earned a degree in communications from the nationally-recognized public relations program.

Mark currently resides in Provo, Utah, where he is an avid marching arts designer, instructor, and clinician. He can be reached at mark@marchingbuzz.com or @markhartman010 on Twitter.

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July 13, 2015July 13, 2015 2,137

Ten of the world’s best drum & bugle corps descended on Sports Authority Field in Denver on Saturday for the 51st edition of Drums Along the Rockies. The show is run by Ascend Performing Arts, the parent organization of the Blue Knights, and has become a staple of the Drum Corps International summer tour.

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July 10, 2015July 10, 2015 2,356

On Wednesday evening, seven drum & bugle corps went head-to-head in Ogden, Utah, for the 2015 edition of Corps Encore. The show is run by Ascend Performing Arts, the parent organization of the Blue Knights, and was held at Stewart Stadium on the campus of Weber State University.

This is my review of the evening, and is simply that – my opinion. You may agree with what I say. You may not. Regardless, know that I hold all of the performers, instructors, and designers in the highest regard. This activity wouldn’t exist without them.

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July 2, 2015 1,121

There’s a saying in the drum corps world: “Welcome to July. What was acceptable in June is longer acceptable.” The idea behind the saying is that performers should always be progressing, holding themselves to higher standards. A drum corps that isn’t getting better is not reaching its full potential. So, welcome to July.

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May 21, 2015June 2, 2015 5,066

The Bluecoats will make “Kinetic Noise” in 2015. Hot on the heels of 2014’s crowd-favorite “Tilt,” the Bluecoats will continue to perform lesser-known repertoire from a wide variety of composers and genres.

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May 14, 2015May 15, 2015 1,373

Move-Ins. All Days. Spring Training. Whatever the specific name each corps has for it, its that time of year when a corps comes together to rehearse and prepare for the season. With the first DCI show just one month away, corps around the country are getting started on the complicated process of putting it all together.